★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Cibola National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Socorro County, NM · 33.90212, -107.62991
Ask an AI about this campsiteOpens Grok already loaded with this site. It reads the same records this page is built from, and links whatever it tells you.
Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A secluded, grassy clearing in a shallow canyon lined with rocks and pine trees. This is a remote and primitive destination in Cibola National Forest. It is unspoiled and relaxing with a single fire ring. A short drive south of the Very Large Array radio telescope installation. There is sufficient flat space for multiple overland vehicles. I had a problem with flies during my stay, but wouldn't hesitate to stay again. Recommended. No cell service.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 7,685 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel21 mi
- @Mail21 mi
- GGrocery26 mi
- WWater34 mi
- +Urgent care36 mi
- MMechanic43 mi
- RxPharmacy44 mi
- HHardware44 mi
- LLaundry44 mi
- ShShower55 mi
- PPropane57 mi
- OOutfitter58 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 34-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 21 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Dump. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
7,685 ft
County
Socorro County, NM
Coordinates
33.90212, -107.62991
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Nearest townMorine Place · ~2.6 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- Fuelnone within 30 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesStore · ~20.8 mi
- Mapping is thin out hereAn empty row means nothing is mapped within that radius — not that nothing exists. Small stores, seasonal resorts and single fuel pumps out here often never make it onto the map. Treat these as unconfirmed and ask locally.
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletHughes Mill · ~5.9 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletGroup Site Double Vault Toilet Restroom · ~21.6 mi NW · BLM
- Vault / pit toiletDatil Campground South · ~21.6 mi NW · BLM
- Vault / pit toiletDatil Campground East · ~21.7 mi NW · BLM
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Hughes Mill Campground~6.0 mi
- Bear Trap Campground~6.8 mi
- Datil Well Recreation Area Campground~21.7 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Socorro County, NM). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
When the high country opens →Water on public land →What “dispersed” means here →Reading the aerial →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →